Rail Staffer Rides As Osama

Calgary Sun ^ | February 18, 2006 | Darcy Henton

[Loyalist]

VIA Rail officials are red-faced after news got out that one of the company's employees purchased a train ticket under the name of Osama bin Laden on the second anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Benoit Dulong was disciplined for buying the ticket under the terrorist's name in 2003, but his union argued he did it to shock his employer into improving lax ticket security.

"The intent was to create an impact and to alert the employer on the seriousness of the situation," Canadian Auto Workers national representative Robert Masse told the Sun yesterday.

The story was posted on a union website last week after Dulong grieved his punishment -- demerit points on his file -- and had it halved by an arbitrator.

VIA Rail spokesman Malcolm Andrews said the rail service has since increased security. The company also hired outside for a review.

"We think we've got a very secure system," he said. "Is it perfect? Probably not."

He conceded someone could still purchase a ticket from an automated kiosk in the name of the terrorist fugitive, but the name would appear on a passenger list before the train left.

[Loyalist]

They should be happy that anybody is buying a ticket on VIA Rail. Think of Amtrak, only worse.

[bigfootbob]

I can see why you make that statement, when they employ and retain employees of this caliber.

[Izzy Dunne]

If I was Osama bin Laden, wanting to ride on VIA rail, perhaps I would use a pseudonym.

Just a thought - hope I didn't give him any ideas...

[Don W]

Considering that the ONLY reason VIA still runs the E&N dayliner from Victoria to Courtenay because it's in the nation's constitution, and could give both BC AND Vancouver Island grounds to secede legally...

Incidentally, one of the ways that VIA is using to kill the dayliner is running it counter to commuting trends: IE, they LEAVE downtown Victoria before 8 am, and return to downtown after 6 pm.

IF you were trying to promote the train (VIA's product, for those in Rio Linda) wouldn't you try to make it more convenient for those who MIGHT use it?

BTW, I'm not a BIG fan of public transit, but when I'm already paying for it, I'd like it to be useful! I LIVE within a block of a stop for this train. I'd USE it if it served ANY purpose other than tourism.

[Izzy Dunne]

Well, the usefulness or sanity of the rail line is a separate question.

My point is that getting charged up about somebody who's NOT bin Laden pretending to BE him is exactly wrong.

The damage will come because bin Laden uses the name Joe Smith, not the other way round.